There is a vast epidemic growing in the United States, that
at some point in time will affect all citizens of this great country and that
epidemic is “Poverty.” At first glance we look at poverty
as if it was only an epidemic in third world countries, but here in the United
States it has become the silent epidemic. We live in one of the world's wealthiest nation, but 14.5%
of U.S. households are living in poverty (Bread, 2011). In that same percentage
children make up the largest group of individuals who are living in homes
struggling to put food on the table. Several news outlets have discussed
and featured astonishing images and reports of Americans living in horrible
conditions related to poverty. Living in impoverish homes and/or
communities can cause unhealthy living conditions, mental and physical illness,
social decline, and lack of an education. Poverty comes in different forms from,
lack of an uneducated caregiver, lack of employment, lack of proper housing,
and people living in a poor quality environment. The United States maintains
nearly twice as much poverty as its neighbor Canada. Even more striking, the
United States has three times as much poverty as some West European countries.
Nearly 20% of Americans are poor, and almost a fourth of U.S. children and
elderly are poor (David 2009). I will examine the roles families,
education, states, political
affiliation, ethnicity, and demographics is associated in the role of poverty. This
epidemic has been increasing throughout the years without being noticed by
state and/or national officials. If we continue to ignore this problem
resources that are available now will soon be depleted. There are several
methods (census bureau, journal articles, multi media groups, publications, and
statistics) will be used in order to approach and potentially improve and/or
eliminate poverty in the lives of US citizens.
The dramatic change of the nuclear family has contributed
the greatest to poverty in America. According to West Coast Poverty Center
(2009) single parent families are economically vulnerable for the simple reason
that most of them have only one wage earner. One home wage earners are just one pay check from being homeless and subjecting themselves to living in poverty.
West
Coast Poverty Center. (2009). Poverty and the American Family. Retrieved from http://depts.washington.edu/wcpc/Family
